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Some important things we think you should know about our trips when deciding on a journey to Bhutan.

Phil and Mary have guided groups in Bhutan since 2006. We have traveled to the seldom-visited, eastern reaches of the country. We have participated in a number of first descents. This experience gives us the most thorough knowledge of Bhutan's rivers.

Our trips are typically twelve days in-country with your departure on the thirteenth day. We don't count travel days from your home country and back as part of the trip. This is something to consider when comparing ours with other's offerings.

One or both of us guides on all our tours. You benefit from our years of expereince with our Bhutanese outfitter. The advantage is a well-rounded experience tailored to your interests, making yours the best trip available.

While we visit some of the classic cultural and religious sites, we also go out of way to take you off the beaten track. You see places few other foreigners visit. Doing so from the river is icing on the cake!

For all trips Call: 866.529.2566

Watch Our Bhutan Slideshow

DAK in Bhutan

Our Bhutan trips take place in October and November after the monsoon effects have disipated. The water is perfect and the fall weather is crisp and stable. In 2018 both our Class III+ and Land Tour will travel as far east as Jakar (Chumkar) in the Bumthang district. Along the way we take time to hike, tour villages, museums, temples and ancient monasteries, participate in ceremonial dances, and of course, to paddle Bhutan’s stunningly, pristine rivers. The kids, the dances, the architecture, the monks, the attitude; the whole culture pins you to the moment. The foreign and exotic become intimate due to English being the second language for many Bhutanese.

The early fall weather holds crisp and sunny days and cold nights. The harvest of rice, buckwheat and apples is underway -weekly the landscape changes dramatically. We schedule our trips to overlap with special events so that every year there is some festival to enjoy. Throughout our stay, we'll interact with the warm and friendly people of Bhutan. Fortuitously in 2008, our trips overlapped with the coronation of the 5th King. The Bhutanese love their kings and this was yet another opportunity for them to demonstrate their devotion. We were treated to the decoration and festivities associated with this rare and auspicious event. This year our class IV and IV+ trips correspond to the King's birthday celebration.

We value the way the Bhutanese culture defines happiness. For these people, "having and getting" have little to do with being happy. On the contrary, they believe that desiring and wanting often cause suffering. This principle is an underlying motivator of behavior in the country. The result is an open, loving, curious and accepting culture. They just soaked us up and take us in!

Our first visit to Bhutan was in November of 2006. We were there for two and a half weeks, and we were awed. Our itinerary included trekking, biking,
visiting monasteries and remote villages, rfating and kayaking. In addition to
many known rivers, our group ran the unexplored, lower section of the
Mangde Chhu, a Class 4/4+ first descent!

A trip to Bhutan is pure magic. You can plan on being immersed in the country's rich culture
and Buddhist traditions while paddling wonderful rivers. From your kayak you will see prayer
flags and ancient fortress-monasteries dotting the hillsides, the flags fluttering in the wind. Their purpose is to maintain
constant communication with the heavens. We hope you will join us!

Bhutan Facts

Bhutan is so much more than a kayaking destination. Entering
this amazing Himalayan, Buddhist kingdom is like stepping back into the
16th century. Mountainous Bhutan, half the size of Indiana, is situated on the southeast
slope of the Himalayas. This benevolent, Buddhist country is surrounded on three sides by India, with Tibet to the north. Population estimates are at 600,000 or so. The landscape consists of a succession of lofty and rugged mountains
and deep valleys. In the north, the highest mountain, Kula Kangri reaches
a height of over 24,000 ft (7,553 m).

From the beginning, government and
religion in Bhutan have been intertwined. In the 8th century, Guru Rinpoche
is credited with spreading Mahayana Buddhism throughout the entire Himalaya
region. In 1616, Shabdrung established himself as the unifier and religious leader
of Bhutan and built the first Dzongs, fortresses housing both the monastic
body and the administrative facilities. Today, religious Mask Dances
are performed by both monks and lay people in brilliant costumes, re-enacting
legendary events. Accompanied by blaring horns, booming drums, and
clashing cymbals, the dancers whirl and leap around the ancient old
courtyard of a Dzong.

The Bhutanese refer to their country as Druk Yul,
which translates to Land of the Thunder Dragon. There are a couple theories
to its origin; one is that it is a reference to the dominant branch of
Tibetan Buddhism that is still practiced in the Himalayan kingdom. The
other is that the name is due to violent storms from the Himalayas that
cause frequent landslides during the rainy season.

Few visitors ever
make it into Bhutan and so the Bhutanese are often as curious about outsiders
as tourists are about them. It is not uncommon to be engaged in adiscussion
by a passerby, or to be invited in for lunch by a Bhutanese family. It
is quickly apparent that the fun-loving Bhutanese live out their philosophy
of “gross national happiness” which they consider to be their gross national
product!

Bhutan was conclusively unified under King Ugyen Wangchuck in
1907 and a benevolent, absolute monarchy was established. (Transition
to a constitutional monarchy occurred in November of 2008.) The British
exerted some control over Bhutan's affairs, but never colonized it.
Until the 1960’s Bhutan was largely isolated from the rest of the world,
and its people carried on a tranquil, traditional way of life, farming
and trading, which had remained intact for centuries. After China invaded
Tibet, however, Bhutan strengthened its ties and contact with India
in an effort to avoid Tibet's fate.

The economy, one of the world's
smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which
provide the main livelihood for more than 80% of the population. Agriculture
consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Bhutan's
hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources.
Model education, social, and environment programs are underway with support
from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes
into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment
and cultural traditions.

Thanks to its isolation, small population, mountainous
terrain, and the national religion of Buddhism, which stresses the sanctity
of all life, Bhutan has protected its forests and wildlife. As a result,
this tiny kingdom, in contrast to all of its neighbors, possesses the
last truly intact, large-scale ecosystem in the Himalayas.

Curious for more information about Bhutan? Travelers And Magicians is an excellent movie on DVD available through Netflicks. It is written and directed by a Bhutanese Lama.

1. Contact us for a reservation form and waiver.
1. Return the reservation form via email or hard copy through snail mail.
2. Make a hard copy of the waiver and return it with the $500 non-refundable
deposit per person to:

Common Questions:

How much is the trip and what does that include? - the
Class III, the Class IV and the Class IV+ trips cost $5680.00. These 13-day trips include the domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro, kayaks, lodging, ground
transportation, Bhutanese cultural guide, kayak guides and instruction, and all meals from lunch Day
1 through the last day's breakfast.

How do I make my reservation and what are your cancellation policies? -
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required with your reservation. Full payment
is due 6 months before the trip date. Cancellations prior to 6 months before
trip date results in a full refund less the $500 deposit. No refund will
be given for cancellations after the 6 month deadline and as such we strongly recommend travel insurance. Written cancellation
is required, call to verify. We will notify you 3 months in advance and
give full refund if we cancel the trip.

Tell me about travel and airfares. – Your flight from the US to Asia and from Asia into Bhutan are not included in the trip cost. At the time of this writing there were several Asian gateway cities from which to fly into Bhutan; Bangkok, Calcutta, Singapore, Dheli and Kathmandu. You will need to purchase
a roundtrip to one of these destinations.

Call Himalayan Treasures & Travels at (800) 223-1813 and ask for Govind.
Let him know you are going on a DeRiemer trip. We found
that it was very beneficial in adjusting to the time change to arrive a few days early, before flying on to Bhutan. Last year our flight to Paro required
us to be at the Bangkok airport to check in at 4:30 am. Your return can be scheduled late evening the last day of the trip.

Your visa for Bhutan is included in your airfare from Bangkok to Paro.
We will assist you in making those reservations. Your passport
must be valid for 6 months from date of travel.

Do you recommend travel insurance? –
We sure do! No refund will be made for cancellations inside the 6 month deadline. We regret that we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies or health problem. Once your reservation is confirmed, we lose the potential to sell that spot to someone else. Because of this, we advise trip cancellation insurance. You can compare on the Internet through:http://www.travelinsurancereview.net/travel-insurance-101/.